Does a Cosmetology License Matter?

This month, a bill in Texas was filed to eliminate the requirement that stylists hold a Cosmetology license to work in a hair salon and offer chemical services. The state of Virginia has considered doing the same.

A Cosmetology license entails much more than just skill and ability to complete a decent haircut. What does this deregulation mean for you, and why is it important that your stylist is licensed?

In Virginia, Cosmetologists are licensed through the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. After completing an approved training program of at least 1,500 hours, aspiring stylists must pass a written and practical exam to show that they know their stuff. 

What’s perhaps even more important to licensing than the techniques of cutting and styling hair are the other aspects included in Cosmetology education. Future stylists are required to understand and habitually practice proper sanitation. They learn to properly mix and use chemicals that protect each of their clients from communicable diseases in a salon environment. They learn how to use different tools and products to keep a client and their hair as healthy as possible. 

If you’ve ever seen the color storage in a salon, you know it’s a mathematical mix of numbers and letters, a secret code that stylists learn to understand. Coloring hair is pure chemistry, and understanding the science behind the color process is essential to delivering results. Through the licensing process, stylists learn how to read and formulate these color codes to customize a color per a client's request, with consideration for the previous 5 years of a client’s hair history.

Other skills practiced and perfected during a stylist’s education are arm-hand steadiness, dexterity, and body position. Did you know that the way your stylist stands behind you has a significant impact on the results of your cut? 

Earning and maintaining a licensed status is essential as a hairstylist, not only to be able to perform the requests of clients but also to protect the health, safety, and well-being of their clients in an environment where lots of chemicals are used. Performing a service without the proper education could result in serious injury to both stylists and their clients. Licensing is more than just a piece of paper, it’s a record of an individual’s understanding of all that goes into ensuring a safe and satisfying salon service. 

Next time you’re searching for a new stylist, make sure they have an active cosmetology license, and help us protect the importance of a cosmetology license in Virginia!